Technical Field
The technical field relates generally to control systems, and more specifically, to systems and methods for improving energy efficiency for a plurality of control volumes using a hierarchical control network.
Background Discussion
A conventional proportional-integral-derivative controller (PID controller) is a type of control loop feedback mechanism that controls a process by monitoring a calculated deviation that represents the difference between a measured process variable and a desired set point. This type of controller attempts to minimize the deviation by adjusting the process control inputs. Although PID controllers are more common than typical on/off controllers and they offer several advantages such as simplicity in design and execution, they may also be largely inefficient in terms of energy usage. This disadvantage is compounded in data centers, where heating and cooling is provisioned for worst-case or peak load scenarios.